Sports briefs for March 22

Eleanor Logan of Boothbay Harbor, who took silver at the 2009 US Rowing National Championships, has completed her first step toward qualifying for the London Olympic Games later this year.

Logan and pairs partner Erin Cafaro of Modesto, Calif., posted a 7:23.364 for the win at the first National Selection Regatta in Chula Vista, Calif.

“I think it was a really good (training center) representation; it was a good race for all of us and a nice way to end our training trip here in San Diego,” said Cafaro who returned to Princeton, N.J., this week to continue training.

Story continues below advertisement.

According to US Rowing, Logan won a gold medal at the 2011 World Rowing Championships and won the Princess Grace Challenge Cup at the 2011 Henley Royal Regatta.

Bentley’s Gensler wins Walter Brown Award; Flynn third

BOSTON — Bentley University sophomore forward Brett Gensler of St. Charles, Mo., has been named winner of the 60th Walter Brown Award, presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston.

Gensler finished first in the final balloting ahead of runner-up Barry Almeida of Boston College and third-place finisher Brian Flynn of the University of Maine.

Gensler, the first player from the Atlantic Hockey Association to win the award, led the conference in scoring this past season, finishing with 18 goals and 23 assists in 34 regular-season games. Overall, he scored 23 goals and had 27 assists for 50 points in 40 games. He is one of just eight players in the nation to reach the 50-point mark, and he currently ranks seventh nationally in both points and goals.

Almeida of Springfield, Mass., has 22 goals and 16 assists, while Flynn of Lynnfield, Mass., has 18 goals and 29 assists.

Speedway 95 cars in mall show this weekend

After a nine-year absence, Speedway 95 will host the annual Spring Preview Mall Show at

the Bangor Mall on Friday through Sunday.

More than 30 drivers and crews have signed up to show off their new race cars. The list includes 2011 Late Model champion Mike Hopkins of Hermon, 2011 Strictly Street champion Andrew McLaughlin of Harrington and 2011 Stars of Tomorrow champion Matt Kimball of Cornville.

Cars from both the Saturday and Wednesday programs will be on display, along with contests for the Best Dressed Crew, People’s Choice from each division and an overall Best of Show winner. Voting will be made through ballots by fans and mall shoppers.

Information about the mall show, the list of drivers and teams registered for it, as well as a tentative racing schedule for the season can be found at speedway95racing.com. The season opens 5 p.m. Saturday, April 28.

Switzer won both halves of the early double, first with Whiskey Gal in 1:52.2 and then with Lady On The Attack by 10 lengths in 1:57.

Switzer’s next victory came behind Pembroke Lil in the seventh when he guided the veteran Blissfull Hall mare to a 1:56.4 triumph and then Switzer led LM Elika to her third straight triumph, despite having to start from the eight-hole, and finished at 1:56.4.

NHL’s Bettman: Ready to meet whenever union ready

LAS VEGAS — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Thursday he’s ready to meet with the players union to negotiate a new contract, but it’s up to the union to decide when that might happen.

Bettman said that the NHL Players’ Association hasn’t yet indicated that it’s ready.

“That’s something that we’re relying on the union for right now,” Bettman said of the timing on talks. “We’ve been ready to go for months but there’s a new executive director and he’s getting up to speed, meeting with his constituents and when the union’s ready, then we’ll start.”

Donald Fehr, who previously led the union for Major League Baseball players, became executive director of the NHLPA in December 2010.

Union spokesman Jonathan Weatherdon said in an emailed statement that the union was meeting with players to prepare for negotiations.

The Stanley Cup finals are scheduled to end in June.

Allen Iverson to join Dominican Republic club

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Former NBA star Allen Iverson will play on a one-month contract in a regional basketball league in the Dominican Republic.

Pueblo Nuevo club president Milton Nunez told The Associated Press on Thursday that Iverson will arrive on Sunday and play the same day against GUG in Santiago province.

The 36-year-old Iverson left the NBA in 2010 and spent part of that year playing in Turkey.

Nunez said the team was in second place in the Santiago basketball championship. He declined to reveal Iverson’s salary.

Iverson was the NBA MVP in 2001, when he led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA finals.

Arkansas looks to play in Italy

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Mike Anderson wants to take his team overseas.

The Arkansas basketball coach said Thursday the Razorbacks hope to play four or five exhibition games against Italian professional and club teams in August, though details of the trip have yet to be finalized.

College basketball teams are allowed 10 practices during preseason international trips every four years. Anderson said the trip would be beneficial for a team that will have several newcomers in his second season as head coach.

“This is going to be Year 2 and these guys have an idea of what is required and what is being demanded, and what this program is going to be about,” Anderson said. “As we get into the summer months we’ve got to get better.”

The Razorbacks are expected to sign at least five players before next season. Arkansas finished the 2011-12 campaign with only nine scholarship players (six underclassmen) because of three offseason transfers and a season-ending knee injury to leading scorer Marshawn Powell.

Moorad steps down as Padres CEO

SAN DIEGO — Jeff Moorad has stepped down as the CEO of the San Diego Padres.

The club said Thursday that Moorad will remain as the franchise’s vice chairman and will be responsible for overseeing the Padres’ involvement in the development of Fox Sports San Diego.

Padres COO and President Tom Garfinkel will assume the CEO duties in the interim.

Earlier this month, Moorad withdrew his application to baseball to finalize his purchase of the club in order to focus on getting MLB’s approval for the team’s new TV deal with Fox.

Moorad owns 49 percent of the Padres. He and a group of investors were set to buy the remainder from majority owner John Moores in January, but fellow owners deferred a vote on the proposed transfer, saying they needed clarification on financial information.

The move could be temporary. It’s possible that Moorad is waiting for the sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers to be completed by the end of April before resubmitting his application. The next owners meeting is scheduled for May 16-17.

Smith gets a second three-year term. He guided the players through last year’s lockout to a new collective bargaining agreement with the league.

The union will elect a new president on Sunday; Kevin Mawae’s term has expired.

Also open are three spots on the union’s executive board being vacated by Tony Richardson, Mike Vrabel and Sean Morey.

Richard Berthelsen announced his retirement Thursday as NFLPA general counsel. Berthelsen will leave on May 15, the 40th anniversary of his joining the union. He became general counsel in 1983 and was directly involved in drafting and negotiating the 1977, 1982, 1993 and 2011 agreements with the league.